Improvement in milk-coolers



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imprvement in Milk Cooers. No. 123,278. y Rif/l PatemedJamsoJaz.

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`N. W. MILLER, lmproverlnentin Milk Coolers. No. 123,278, f Patenjfedxamsonsn.

NORTON W. MILLER, OF EAST RANDOLPH, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MILK'CQOLERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,278, dated January 30, 1872.

To all 'whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, NORTON W. MILLER, of East Randolph, in the county of Cattaraugus and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk- Coolers; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a plan view of the upper side of my device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe same, on the line w m of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of said device. Fig. 4 :is a central transverse section of one of the coolingvats, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the discharging-pipe.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

My invention belongs to a class of devices having for their object the regulation of the temperature of milk; and it consists principally in the construction and relative arangement of the water-ducts within and around the milk-vat, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, further, in the means employed for removing water from the cooling-vats so as to enable the same to be used separately or in combination, substantially as is hereinafter set forth. It consists, further, in the peculiar construction of the loops or hangers employed for sustaining the drip-trough and their combination with the same, and with the centrally-inclined bottom of the cooling-vat, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described. It consists, finally, in the construction ofthe discharge-pipe and its combination with the milkvats, substantially as is hereinafter shown.

In the annexed drawing, A and A represent four vertical posts, connected together in pairs by means of a series of horizontal bars, B, placed at equidistant points between the npper and lower ends of said posts, and said pairs attached together by means of two or more cross-bars, C, or in any other manner that will bring the horizontal bars B parallel and in a line with each other vertical] A metal rail, D, is secured longitudinally to or within the upper face of each bar B, the use of which will be hereinafter explained. Supported by each corresponding' pair of horizontal bars B, is an openrectangnlar frame, E, which has a length slightly less than the distance between the posts A, and a width equal to about three-fourths the length ot' said bars, and is provided wit-hin the lower face of each end rail with two grooved and iianged wheels F which rest upon the rails D, and furnish a rolling-bearing for said frame E, so as t0 permit the same to be moved toward or from the sides of the supporting frame. Supported by or within the frame E, is a metal pan, G, the sides of which liare outward, and at their upper edge correspond in size horizontally to the interior dimensions of said frame, and are provided with a suitable iiange, g, whichextending horizontally outward rests upon the upper surface of the saine. A second metal pan, H, having a length and depth considerably less than that of the pan G, and provided upon its sides with horizontal anges It, is placed within and upon the latter, and the parts secured together by means of a short pipe, I, provided upon its upper end with a horizontal iian ge or collar, i, and upon its lower threaded end with a nut, K, which pipe is passed downward through suitable openings in and through said pans with its iianged end resting upon the bottom of the upper pan, and the nut K pressing against the bottom of the lower pan. In `order that the pans may be made watertight at the point where they are connected together a rubber gasket, L, is placed around the pipe and between the bottoms of said pans, and having suflicient vertical dimensions is pressed closely around said pipe and into the openin gs around the saine whenever the nut K is screwed to place. As thus arranged, it will be seen that a space, G', is left between the bottom ends and sides of the pans G and H, within which water for tempering purposes may be contained. The pans or vats thus constructed are secured iirml y to their frame by means of four hooks, c, pivoted to or upon the sides of the latter, and engaging with the upper edges of the former. Extending across the bottom ot' the upper vat H, and upward and outward over its ends is a pipe, M, having, preferably, a rectangular shape in crosssection, one end, m, of which pipe is provided with a flaring or bell-month, while the opposite end m passes outward over the end of said vat, and then downward between the same and 2 Lamers the end of the outervat, and terminates with in the vertical arm of a second pipe, N, which from thence extends longitudinally between the bottom of said vats. The outer end of the pipe N is closed, and a series of small openings provided at suitable intervals along its sides. Secured upon the end of the vat G, corresponding to the flaring end m ofthe pipe M, and at the transverse center of said vat is a pipe, O, which extends downward to a short dista-nce below the bottom of the same and has its lower end open. The upper end of said pipe is closed, and communication effected between its interior and the interior of the vat by means of an opening, o, that passes horizontally through the end of the latter. A second and smaller opening, of, is provided in and through the end of said vatimmediately above its bottom, and affords a means whereby the fluid contents of the same may be entirely discharged. As thus constructed, the vats are arranged within the supporting-frame in the malmer shown in Figs. 2 and 3, their pipes I, closed by means of a cork and ashort rubberhose, P, attached to the lower end of each pipeJ O, and passed within the open end ot' the pipe M, when the saine are ready for use as follows: The upper pansH are tilled with milk, and a stream ot' cold water directed into the open end of the pipe M of the upper vat from whence said water passes through said pipe into the pipe N, from whence it escapes and tills the space G between the pans, and is brought into contact with the entire lower surface and sides ot' said upper pan. From the upper vat the water escapes through the opening o into and through the pipes O and P into the pipe M of the next lower vat, and passing through the same into and through each succeeding vat until it escapes from the last into the waste-pipe, havin g in its passage abstracted from the milk a quantity ot' heat corresponding to the diierence between its tempera-ture and that of said water. Vhen the milk is freshly taken from the cow, the quantity of anima-l heat therein contained is so great as to render it desirable to operate the vats sepaately or in pairs, and thus lessen the time that would otherwise be required in reducing the temperature of the entire contents of said vats. For this purpose a vertical waste-pipe, Q, is secured upon the outer sides of the bars B at the discharge ends ofthe vats, andis provided with an opening, q, within convenient reach ot each hose P. 1f, now, each vat is supplied directly with cold water and made to discharge into said pipe Q, instead ot' discharging into the next lower vat, the contents ot' the entire series will be cooled simultaneously, after which, by changing said rubber-hose so as to cause the water to pass through the series, the reduced telnpera-ture of said milk will be main.- tained with the expenditure ot'a comparatively small quantity of water. lfhenever it becomes necessary to draw either of the vats forward, its supply-pipe drops into the space between the ends of the inner and outer pans,

while its discharge-pipe in like manner falls into the corresponding space within the next vat below, so that the flow of water is uninterrupted. It being requisite that the temperature of the milk should be maintained uniformly at about 590 in order that the greatest quantity of cream may be secured it becomes necessary to provide means for tempering the water before it passes into the vats, for which purpose I employ a reservoir, R, between the supply-pipes and said vats, in which ice may may be placed wheneverthe water is too warm and when too cold, said water may have its temperature increased by the addition ot' hot water. For convenience I place the reservoir lt upon the supporting-frame where it rests part-ly upon a cross-bar, S, attached to and extending between the posts A, and in part upon a second bar, T, which is attached at its ends to or upon two arms, U, that are pivoted upon the inner faces of said posts at points below the upper ends of the latter. W hen not in use, the supporting-bar T may be folded inward against the frame so as to occupy little space, but when used for supporting the reservoir said bar is secured in place by means ot two metal hooks, t, which are pivoted upon the bar S and embrace with their curved ends the outer side and top of said bar T. When the coolii'lg-vats a-re arranged in tiers, the moisture that condenses upon the lower side of each, if allowed to drop into the milk of the next lower vat, discolors and injures the same. To avoid this difficulty, I construct the lower side of each vat lowest at its center so as to cause the moisture to drop from the discharge-pipe I immediately below which a trough, V, is suspended within suitable loops or supports W, attached to the lower side of said vat. One end of the trough V being sufciently depressed, the contents of the saine will pass harmlessly into the spacebetween the ends of the pans G and H. In order that the contents of each vat may be discharged without removing the drip-trough from beneath the same, the loops W are made about twice the width of said trough, and provided with two semi-circular depressions, w, each of which corresponds to and will contain the latter. As attached to a vat the loops are so placed as that when the drip-trough is in position within corresponding depressions in said loops and directly beneath the center of said vat, the extra width ofisaid loops will project alike to either the front or rear, as seen in Fig. 4. When thus arranged, the drip-trough may be raised with the hand and moved from beneath the discharge-pipe over and into the outside depressions until the milk is discharged, after which said trough may be easily and without special care, returned to its former position. For discharging milk from the rats, I employ a metal pipe, X, having a sufficient size to enable its upper end to be placed over the lower end ot' the pipe I where it is secured in place by means ot' a hook, Y, which is pivotcd upon one side of said pipe, and engages with a suitable eye, y, attached to the under side of the vat. In order to adapt the pipe to the heights of the diierent vats, it is constructed in sections connected together by means of hooks Y and eyes y, so as to be readily adjusted to length. As shown in Fig. 5, said pipe is itted for the upper vat, and in order to adapt it to the next lower vat, it is only necessary that the short upper section be removed. Vhen used with the third vat from the top the long section is removed and the short section substituted in its place, While by removing both sections the pipe may be attached to a still lower vat. The Water is discharged from the cooling-vats by means of the opening` o soon after the supply is cut off, after which, by removing the nut K and pipe I, the pans may be separated and leasily cleansed.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new, 1s-

l. The pipes M and N, and space G', in com bination with the milk-vat H, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

2. Also, in combination with the pans G and H, the hanged and threaded pipe I, the nut K, and the rubber gasket L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Also,in combination withthecooling-vats, the openings 0 and o', the pipe O, the hose P, and the pipe Q, provided with the openings g, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. Also, in combination with the vat G having a centrally-inclined bottom, and with the driptrough V, the loops or hangers W, provided with double depressions w, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. Also, the discharge-pipe X, constructed as shown, and combined with the cooling-vats, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of September, 1871.

Witnesses: NoRToN W. MILLER.

GEO. S. PRINDLR, EDM. F. BROWN. 

